Final Fantasy VII: The Forgotten Tommorow
by Dashbar the Forgotten
Summary: Two years after the destruction of Meteor, everyone seems at Peace. Everyone, except Cloud. The feeling that something is still wrong constantly burdens Cloud. Is there something still not right with the world? Is there still trouble about?
1. A Hero's Pain

Disclaimer: All Final Fantasy VII places, characters, and other items belong to Squaresoft. I own none of it and make no money what so ever. This is written for the enjoyment of others and me.

This story takes place two years after the fall of Meteor. The group has split up a little since the incident. Cloud Strife has gone off into the wilderness, still feeling that something isn't right in the world. Tifa Lockheart has reopened the bar that once stood in the Sector 7 Slums of Midgar, still awaiting the day that Cloud will find a way back to her. Barrett Wallace, Red XIII and Vincent Valentine have reformed AVALANCE, but is now a major company in Midgar. Vincent has been gone for sometime, trying to find out more about his broken past. Cid Highwind has returned to Rocket Town and has begun construction on another rocket. Yuffie Kisaragi has returned to Wutai and is now a professor of materia. Cait Sith has been dismantled and its controller has disappeared. If you wish to know more about this story, please read it. Enjoy.

**The Forgotten Tomorrow**

**Chapter 1: A Hero's Pain  
**

The sunlight shined through the trees of the forest. The calmness seemed to unsettle Cloud Strife as he looked down the grassy path. Even after days of sitting in the same spot, looking out at the summer's beauty, Cloud still felt a cold chill run down his spine every day. Every second that went by, Cloud continued to feel a great burden upon his soul. The Ex-solder found himself looking up at the sky, looking for the intense glow of the falling Meteor. Yet, every time he gazed into the sky, all he saw was the soft glow of the stars. Meteor had been destroyed. The threat was gone. Even thought the threat of Meteor has passed, Cloud still felt that all was not right in the world.

Cloud continued to gaze through the woods near his childhood home of Nibleheim. Although he grew up there, nothing felt like home anymore. The only thing that ever felt right in Cloud's life was Tifa. He left her behind in Midgar, not wanting to her to be pulled down by his constant feeling of uncertainty. Although he did love her, he wanted the best for her. That is why he left her behind, where she was safe.

"You're still out here" said an all too familiar voice. Cloud looked back and saw his friend of Nibleheim, Pen. Cloud met Pen while traveling just a few months after Meteor had fallen. Pen walked up beside his friend and looked out into the woods. "It's been calm today. Very quiet" Cloud continued to look into the forest, not saying anything. "Cloud, I've asked you this many times, but I'll ask again. What are you looking for?"

Cloud turned and looked at his old friend. "…..I don't know. I just have this feeling, Pen." Cloud looked into the forest again. "Do you ever have that feeling….that feeling that you're so close to what you are looking for…..but it suddenly slips away?...I've felt that feeling since Meteor was destroyed." Cloud stood up and took a few steps forward and stopped in the middle of the grassy path. "….That feeling that I still need to find something…..and finish it."

Pen sighed and put his hand on Cloud's shoulder. "Maybe what you are looking for isn't something. Maybe it's someone." Pen removed his hand from Cloud's shoulder, turned, and began to walk back towards Nibleheim. "I think you need to go see her." Cloud looked back at his friend and sighed.

_Maybe Pen's right…… I've been away too long…… Maybe I should go back for awhile._ Cloud had gone through this many times in his mind, but for some reason, this time, it made sense. Seeing his friends would probably clear his mind and give him the up lift he needed. Barrett's humor would make Cloud smile. Cloud thought about Tifa as well. Not a day went by that he didn't think about her. Not a day went by that he wanted to hold her close. Cloud knew he would benefit very much by seeing Tifa's smile once again.

_Cloud..._ Cloud turned and drew his Buster sword, waiting for something to appear. He saw nothing. This didn't feel right. Cloud walked down the path, keeping his eyes open for anything to happen. Passing the small lake, Cloud looked out into the water. The water was calm….a little too calm for his comfort. Cloud walked over to the edge of the water. Kneeling down, Cloud looked into water. Looking back at him was his own reflection and…..it couldn't be…..

_Sephiroth?_ Cloud whipped around at lightning speed, but found no one behind him. _What in the…? What did I just see?_ Cloud continued to grasp his weapon. He didn't want to take any chances. He knew better than that.

Cloud continued to wait…but nothing appeared. The eerie calm remained in the air.

Was Cloud losing his mind? Or was he still reliving the last time he saw Sephiroth? How could Cloud forget? It was the most intense moments of his life. It was a moment that he would very much like to forget.

The final battle. Cloud remembered it all too well, his sword clashing with Sephiroth's. The sparks flying when steel met steel. Their Mako eyes full of rage, as well as their hearts. Just as Sephiroth looked for the finishing blow, Cloud remembered who he was fighting for. The people of the planet. His friends. Himself. Tifa. "OMNISLASH!" The words flew out of Cloud's soul like a rushing wind. His Buster sword slashed at unbelievable speed. Shocked, Sephiroth was barely able to block the blows that came towards him. As Sephiroth began to lose the upper hand, Cloud capitalized and moved in for the kill. The final blow came. Cloud's sword went through Sephiroth's abdomen like a knife through butter. Cloud's foe looked down, looked back up and gave a slight smile. His knees buckled and he fell to the floor. Lifeless. Cloud stood over his fallen foe, but felt something he didn't expect. He felt guilty. He didn't want it to come down to this, but it had to be done. Sephiroth was dead and the planet was safe….for the moment. Sometimes, Cloud could still smell the blood that covered his sword and hands.

Cloud looked around once more and saw nothing. He looked back at the water of the lake and only saw his reflection. No Sephiroth in sight. Cloud let out a sigh on relief. He reholstered his Buster sword and stood up. The cold chill he had felt so many times before ran down his spine once again. Cloud sighed again.

_It's time…_ Cloud made his decision. He wondered why he didn't make the decision before. He was going back to Midgar… He was going back to his friends….He was going back to Tifa.

The town of Nibleheim seemed like a ghost town to Cloud. Not many people lived there anymore. The only person that Cloud knew in the town was Pen. The Shinra mansion did still stand, but it was forbidden to enter the mansion. The people of the town were not going to take any chances of another Sephiroth incident happening.

Cloud walked through the inn door and sighed. The innkeeper looked up from the counter. Cloud glanced over and nodded at the innkeeper. He walked up the stairs and into his room. The sun was still shining bright through his window. Cloud walked over to his bed and sat down. He reached into his pocket and pulled out an old picture. The picture was of Tifa and Cloud. She was holding Cloud's hands and looking into his eyes. They both were smiling. Cloud could still remember the day that picture was taken.

The champagne was flowing and the party was very alive. Even in the ruins of Sector 7, the sound of laughter and joy could be heard. Repairs had already begun on the 7th Heaven Bar and Sector 7. The bar was almost finished. It just needed windows and plumbing. But for now, everyone was in the mood to celebrate. Barrett was stumbling around with one of the champagne bottles in his hand. Red XIII lay asleep near the corner of the bar. Cid could be seen near the window, smoking a cigar. The smoke gently drifted out the window. Cid knew that Tifa didn't like smoke very much. Vincent was, surprisingly, laughing with Barrett. Yuffie was sitting at the bar, counting her collection of materia. Tifa was where she wanted to be: behind the bar, serving her guests. Cloud was standing near the front window, looking out. Everyone seemed to be happy, except him.

Tifa walked over to Cloud and smiled. Cloud looked at her and gave a small smile. Tifa jokingly punch Cloud in the arm. "Hey. What's wrong?" Cloud looked out the window again and said nothing. Tifa took his hand and held it tightly. "Come on. What is it?" Cloud looked at her again. He sighed. He took his hand away from hers and walked outside. Tifa followed him. Cloud stopped at the edge of the outside porch. Tifa walked up behind him. She put her hand on his shoulder. "Tell me. What's wrong?" Cloud turned and looked at Tifa.

"I don't know. I just feel like….something isn't right." Tifa took his hand again and looked into his Mako green eyes. This time, Cloud took her other hand. "I'm sorry I've seem so distant. But I can't help feeling like something is wrong." Tifa gripped Cloud's hands tightly.

"Hey. Stop worrying so much. You've done everything you can. It's all over." Tifa smiled. Cloud smiled as well.

"I can only hope."

A flash went off. Cloud and Tifa look over to see Barrett standing there with a camera. Barrett began to laugh. Tifa sighed, and then gave a small laugh. "That's the last time I give you a bottle of champagne." Tifa walked over to Barrett and took the camera from his hand. Barrett gave a nervous smile. He ran out to the middle of the road near the bar, threw the bottle in the air, and shot it to pieces with his gun arm. Barrett looked back and smiled.

"I shtill gaht it" he said in a drunken slur. Tifa began to laugh hysterically. Barrett laughed, and then stumbled back inside.

"Ah, Barrett, you are such a character." Tifa turned and saw Cloud looking down again. See walked up to him and looked him in the eyes again. "What's Wrong, Cloud?" Cloud looked up and took her hands in his.

"Tifa….I need to get away for a while. This feeling….It still burdens me very much. I still feel that something is wrong. Maybe if I journey for a while, I find what out what is wrong."

"Well, whatever the reason, take me with you."

"I can't, Tifa. Its better I do this alone. I don't want to burden you with this." Tifa took a step forward and gripped Cloud's hands even tighter. Cloud looked down for a minute, and then he looked in her eyes again. "Tifa….I must do this alone."

"Then….if you do go, promise me that you will come back." Tifa put her arms around the man she loved. A tear ran down her face. Cloud put his arms around her.

"_I promise"_ he whispered in her ear.

Cloud put the picture back in his bag and sighed.

_Cloud…._ Cloud turned and looked for the whisper, but saw no one. Cloud knew that he was tired. He lay on the bed and looked at the ceiling. "I'm coming home, Tifa." The sun was now set. Cloud turned in the bed and fell asleep. _Cloud….Our time is coming._ Even in his sleep, Cloud could feel the cold chill running down his spine once again.


	2. Everyone Has A Purpose

**Chapter 2: Everyone Has a Purpose**

The night sky had its usual eerie glow to Vincent Valentine. Looking out from the mountains above Nibleheim, Vincent gazed upon the vast land below, hoping to think of where to go next. Ever since his dark past, the Turks, ShinRa, Lucrecia……Vincent didn't know what he was looking for. All he knew was that he needed answers, and he found too few of them.

Vincent continued down the road toward the abandoned Mako reactor in the mountains of Nibleheim. He had been to five other Mako reactors, looking for any answers he could find. As he approached the reactor, Vincent felt something inside him skip a beat. Something was in there. He hoped it was in the form of an answer.

The pipes inside the reactor had been stopped up since Meteor struck and all Mako use was banned. Many had materia building up it the cracks. Vincent slowly walked through the dark reactor, with his hand ever-so-close to his trusty Quicksilver pistol, expecting anything to happen. Every footstep echoed through the empty hallways of the reactor. Vincent could still smell the all-to-familiar aroma of Mako energy in the reactor. He began to feel uneasy. Something wasn't right.

Vincent continued into the depths of the ghostly reactor. Every step made Vincent feel even more uneasy. The smell of Mako energy seemed to get stronger the lower he went in the reactor. This worried Vincent. If the reactor was shut down, why was the smell of Mako getting stronger? Was it coincidence? Vincent didn't know. He slowly drew his Quicksilver from the holster inside his blood red cloak and held it tightly. Being a very talented marksman, he felt a little bit safer. Vincent lost count of how many bull's-eye shots he had fired from that old revolver.

Vincent finally reached the bottom of the reactor. He looked around and noticed that some of the gears in the reactor were running, pumping Mako energy. _That's why the smell is so strong. Mako's being pumped. But why? Why would someone want to pump Mako from the bottom of the reactor?_ Vincent walked over to one of the gauges and studied it for a minute. The pressure was very low. _Of course. If they completely restarted the reactor, AVALANCE would have detected it._

Vincent turned and finally realized the area where he was: The same area that Cloud had told him about before. This is where the Jenova experiment took place. This is where Sephiroth lost his life….the first time. Vincent could still imagine the story Cloud told all so well, how he survived an attack from Sephiroth…and killed him in the process.

Vincent noticed the door leading to the experiment room was wide open. He walked through the door, weapon drawn. No one could be seen in the room. Vincent's heart began to beat faster and faster. Walking up the stairs towards where Jenova use to be located, Vincent prepared for the worse. Vincent barged through the door where Jenova was once held and aimed his Quicksilver dead center. All Vincent saw were small pipes pumping small amounts of Mako energy.

_This doesn't make sense. This can't just be a coincidental restart._ Vincent heard footsteps coming from behind him. He stepped into one of the shadowy corners of the room and seemed to vanish. Vincent looked on and saw a figure in a black robe walk in. Its face was hidden. The dark figure pulled a small vile from its sleeve, filled it with fresh Mako energy from one of the small pipes and returned it to his sleeve.

"Hold it!" Vincent stepped out from the shadowy corner, Quicksilver drawn. "AVALANCHE Corporation. What are you doing?" The dark figure looked up, but its face was still shrouded in darkness. The figure began to laugh a deep laugh. It began to stand. "Don't move!" Vincent took another step forward and aimed his Quicksilver at the figure's head. The figure stood up and continued to laugh.

"_You won't… get out… alive"_ whispered the dark figure. The figure then moved across the room at lightning speed. Vincent fired his weapon, but missed his target. The figure continued to move from one side of the room to the other while Vincent continued to fire, missing every shot. It appeared as if the figure was flying.

_Man, this thing is fast._ Vincent kept his eyes open, making sure that the figure didn't come near him. Vincent continued to fire. He had never shot at something this fast before. The bullets came close to hitting their target, but only missed by millimeters. Vincent could hear the continual laughter from his target. Soon, Vincent heard the clicking of his empty Quicksilver. _No. Not now._ He reached for his ammo pouch to reload. Before he could even grab a bullet, the dark figure launched forward and knocked Vincent against the wall, head first. Vincent's vision began to blur. He looked up and saw the dark figure standing over him. Its hands began to glow as it reared back, apparently about to cast some magic. Yet, it stopped and leaned forward.

"_No…Not yet…I have more plans for you."_ The figure disappeared just as Vincent lost consciousness, still hearing the maniacal laughter of the dark figure.

_Lucrecia…where are…you?_ Vincent continually shouted into the darkness of his dreams. He walked into the shrouded darkness, but nothing came of it. _LUCRECIA!_

Vincent woke up a short time later. Still a little woozy, Vincent surveyed the room to make sure no threat could be seen. He struggled to get to his feet, feeling the welt that had grown on the back of his head. Vincent reloaded, and then reholstered his Quicksilver and sighed. He took another look around, and then made his way back to the surface.

Standing at the edge of the mountain, Vincent once again looked out across the land below. A cold chill ran down his back as the cold wind of the Nibleheim Mountains blew. He looked down towards Nibleheim. The quiet little town was dark, except for one little light at the Inn. Needing some sleep, Vincent made his way down the smoggy mountain, towards the sleeping town, hoping for no more surprises to encounter. Around every corner, Vincent kept his hand on his holster. He knew how dangerous these mountains were.

Vincent reached the old wooden bridge. Vincent drew his Quicksilver and slowly approached cautiously. Every step he took on the bridge, a loud creak could be heard from the old wood under his feet. The wind began to blow a little hard than it already was. Suddenly, a strong gust came from the right side of the bridge. Vincent clutched the side of the bridge, barely being able to stand. Vincent looked to his right and saw a giant bird-like creature soaring in his direction, a creature Vincent had never seen before. Its loud screech echoed through the mountains and in Vincent's ears.

_Not another surprise._ Vincent aimed his Quicksilver at the winged creature. The giant bird let out an earth shattering screech so loud, that it brought Vincent to his knees. Vincent cringed with pain. The creature flew closer and closer. Every flap of its wings shook the bridge even harder than before. Vincent lifted his Quicksilver again. The creature screeched again, but Vincent fought through the pain. The creature was only meters from the bridge before Vincent could get a clean shot. He fired off a shot. Vincent could see the bullet fly like it was in slow motion. The bullet zipped through the misty air and hit directly between the creature's eyes. The creature's wings went limp and plummeted from the sky. As it was falling, one of its wings caught the bridge, and split it in half. Vincent grabbed a hold of one of the wooden steps as the bridge began to crumble. Vincent was lucky the entire bridge didn't disintegrate. The part of the bridge that Vincent was clinging to slammed against the cliff. Vincent barely was able to hold on to the bridge when it slammed against the cliff. He looked down and could see the bird creature and the remains of the bridge falling towards the cannon below. Vincent let out a sigh of relief. He reholstered his Quicksilver and began to climb up the cliff.

Vincent pulled himself to the top of the cliff and rolled to his back. He looked around while trying to catch his breath. After a few minutes, he brought himself to his feet and dusted his crimson cloak off. He turned and walked down the same path he had taken minutes earlier. As Vincent walked, he drew his Quicksilver again. He wasn't taking any chances this time. The difference of a second could mean a close call or death.

Vincent finally made it down the mountain. He was surprised he didn't have anymore visitors attack him on the way down. Vincent walked towards the inn and reholstered his Quicksilver. He opened the door and walked up to the desk. The innkeeper looked up from a newspaper.

"May I help you?" Vincent placed a bag of Gil on the table, but didn't say a word. The innkeeper looked at the bag, and then looked up again. "Ok. Up the stairs. Third room on the right. All yours." The innkeeper grabbed a key from the wall and handed it to Vincent. Vincent took it, nodded at the innkeeper, and walked up the stairs. Vincent stopped halfway up, then turned towards the innkeeper.

"Keep you eyes open. Something isn't right around here." The innkeeper looked up with a confused look. He nodded the looked back at his newspaper. Vincent sighed, and then walked up the stairs. Inserting the key into the lock, Vincent opened the door to his room. He looked around for a moment, and then lay down on the bed. He looked up at the wooden ceiling and sighed. He had enough surprises for one night.


End file.
